In order to attach fasteners, suspend a ceiling or access suspended ceiling structures and the related electrical heating, ventilation and air conditioning structures which are provided therein, construction workers and other skilled craftsmen frequently use stilt systems. Such systems permit them freedom of movement by walking, while raising the workers to a desired elevated height. Such stilts are known in the art and are sold under various trade names. One well-known stilt system is sold under the trade name DURA-STILT and is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,102,272 and 3,902,199, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The DURA-STILT is an adjustable stilt to be worn on each leg. It has a floor platform and a shoe platform which are connected by two parallel spring-loaded pivotally mounted vertical members. A hollow tubular leg support is attached to the rearward vertical member. Straps are provided for attaching the leg support to the user's leg and for attaching the ankle area and the toe area of the shoe to the shoe platform. Because the vertical members are pivotally attached to the upper shoe platform and the lower floor platform and are spring-loaded, the vertical members are maintained in a substantially parallelogram configuration. This permits the user to walk readily on the stilts and maintain his balance.
The prior art stilt systems had several disadvantages. The straps which attach the user's legs and shoes to the stilts were bulky and not readily fastened, unfastened and adjusted. In addition, and more importantly, the leg support member had a tendency to loosen and become detached from the stilt, thereby causing the stilt to disassemble and the user to fall.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art stilt systems.